PATTAYA, THAILAND – Police in the Thai resort city carried out a targeted raid on Rattanakorn Market, arresting six foreign workers who allegedly lacked valid permits.
Coordinated raid on busy market
The operation took place on 13 January 2026 at around 10 a.m. on the bustling Rattanakorn Market on Thepprasit Road. A joint team from the Transnational Crime Suppression Center at Pattaya City Police Station conducted the raid, overseen by Pol Maj Gen Phongphan Wongmanithet, commander of Chonburi Provincial Police. Senior officers, including Pol Col Wasurat Chaithiraphat, deputy commander, and Pol Col Anek Sathongyu, chief of Pattaya City Police Station, led the action together with immigration and transnational crime investigators.
Public complaints triggered inspections
Authorities said the checks were prompted by public complaints about the use of unlicensed foreign labor at the market. Officers inspected stalls and market areas, where they encountered several people working on site. During the operation, six foreigners were detained who, according to police, could not present valid work permits.
Detainees face immigration charges
The group comprised four nationals from Laos and two from Myanmar. Police stated that one of the detainees from Myanmar was unable to produce a valid passport or any other identification documents. All six were accused of violating immigration law, including entering and staying in the country without valid permission and engaging in employment without authorization.
Further legal steps and detention
The detainees were taken to Pattaya City Police Station for further legal processing and remained in custody. According to officials, the case formed part of broader national and provincial priorities to combat illegal employment. Pattaya, as an internationally known beach destination, has increasingly relied on visible checks in tourist-heavy areas.
Investigators now targeting employers
Police told local media the raid was one element of a wider campaign against illegal foreign workers in the region. Investigators planned to expand the case to identify stall operators or employers who had hired the unregistered workers, with legal action expected against those who enable or promote illegal employment.
“The measures are intended to curb unauthorized employment, protect local jobs and strictly enforce immigration regulations, especially in tourism-intensive areas such as Pattaya.”
said police sources.
Repeat checks and public cooperation
According to The Pattaya News, this was already the second inspection within a week at the same market focusing on illegally employed foreign workers. Authorities called on the public to report suspected cases of illegal employment to help support order and fairness in the local labor market.